Crawfish season is in full swing. While they may not be the bargain they were a few years ago, they are still a good buy. In my neck of the woods, near Lafayette, the price of live crawfish is hovering around $2 a pound. Peeled tails are about $10 a pound. Boiled crawfish at restaurants is $5 to $6.50 a pound.

The higher prices are certainly not going to prevent me from enjoying a 5-pound pile of perfectly seasoned crawfish every now and then, or crawfish etouffee for my Friday night supper, or crawfish pies for an occasional appetizer before my Sunday night dinner.

I am also a great fan of crabs. While my husband, Rock, and I finished off a small mountain of boiled crawfish last Sunday evening, he mentioned that he just might be up for boiled crabs the following night.

While we picked our way through a dozen large ones with sides of boiled potatoes and corn, our conversation led to the possibility of getting soft-shell crabs and some sweet lump crabmeat for supper for Friday. I was game.

We went in search of soft-shells and were fortunate to find fresh soft-shells for $3 each, which isn't so bad, but then we had to dole out $14 a pound for the jumbo lump. It was a little pricey, but hey, only the best for my friends. Nothing is cheap these days, right?

Rock and I discussed the menu. Since we had a quart of frozen shrimp in the freezer, we decided to begin with shrimp en brochette.

Prepare the grill. Combine the shrimp, hot sauce, mustard, beer and sugar in a shallow bowl. Cover and refrigerate for 2 hours.

Wrap each shrimp with a piece of bacon, and thread onto skewers, allowing 3 shrimp and 3 cherry tomatoes per skewer.

Place the kabobs on the grill and close the lid. Cook for 2 to 3 minutes per side. Remove from grill and serve immediately with the lemon wedges.

For the main course, we paired a crabmeat pie and pan-fried soft-shells, a combination that we thought was enough to please crab lovers.

Creole crab pie

Makes 6 servings

1 cup finely chopped bacon

3 tablespoons chopped green onions

1 pound lump crabmeat, picked over for shells and cartilage

3 eggs

2 cups milk

Salt and cayenne to taste

1 (9-inch) pie crust, pre-baked until lightly brown

Preheat oven to 350 degrees. Cook the bacon and green onions in a large skillet over medium heat until the bacon is slightly crisp. Remove from heat and add the crabmeat and toss gently to mix. Set aside.

In a bowl, combine the eggs and milk, and season with salt and cayenne. Spread the crabmeat mixture evenly in the bottom of the pie crust. Pour in the egg and milk mixture. Bake for 20 to 25 minutes, or until the pie crust is browned and the mixture sets.

Pan-fried soft-shell crabs

Makes 4 servings

4 medium soft-shell crabs

½ cup buttermilk

1 cup all-purpose flour

¾ teaspoon salt

¼ teaspoon cayenne

6 tablespoons clarified butter

2 tablespoons vegetable oil

Fresh lemon juice

Chopped fresh parsley leaves

To clean the crabs, use a pair of kitchen shears to cut them across the face. Remove the eye sockets and the lower mouth. Carefully lift up the apron and remove the gills. Gently rinse with cool water and pat dry.

Soak the crabs in the buttermilk for 30 minutes.

Combine the flour, salt and cayenne in a shallow bowl. Remove the crabs from the buttermilk, dredge them in the flour and shake to remove any excess.

Heat the butter and oil in a large skillet. Cook the crabs for two to three minutes on each side or until they are lightly browned and cooked through. Serve them on slices of toasted French bread and sprinkle with lemon juice to taste. Garnish with parsley and serve warm.

Since my mint is making a grand comeback in this glorious spring weather, this side dish was both refreshing and tasty.

Potatoes with peas and mint

Makes about 6 servings

20 (about) small red potatoes, rinsed by not peeled

1/3 cup olive oil

½ cup dry white wine

2 cups frozen small peas, thawed

½ cup chopped fresh mint leaves

Salt and freshly ground black pepper to taste

Sour cream (optional)

Boil the potatoes in salted water until just tender. Drain and cut in halves, leaving the skins on. Whisk the oil and wine together and drizzle over the warm potatoes in a large bowl. Stir to coat evenly. Let cool slightly.

Put the peas in a colander and warm with hot tap water. Drain well. Add the peas and the mint, season with salt and pepper, and toss gently. When serving, you may want to pass a small bowl of sour cream with the potatoes.

After a seafood supper, I like to have a lemony dessert to refresh my mouth, and many moons ago I found this recipe for Bob Hope's favorite lemon pie, and it never fails to please.

Bob Hope's lemon pie

Makes one pie, to serve 6

1 1/3 cups sugar

6 tablespoons cornstarch

2 pinches salt

1 1/4 cups boiling water

3 eggs, separated

1/3 cup fresh lemon juice

2 tablespoons butter

2 teaspoons grated lemon rind

1 pre-baked 9-inch pie shell

1 (7-ounce) jar marshmallow creme

Preheat the oven to 350 degrees.

Combine the sugar, cornstarch and a pinch salt in a heavy saucepan over medium heat. Gradually add the water. Bring to a boil, stirring constantly. Cook for one minute, or until the mixture is clear and thickened. Stir a small amount of the hot mixture into beaten egg yolks, then return this mixture to the hot mixture. Cook for about three minutes, stirring constantly. Remove from heat, then add the lemon juice, butter and lemon rind. Pour the mixture into the pie shell.

Beat the egg whites and a pinch salt until soft peaks form. Gradually add the marshmallow cream, beating until stiff peaks form. Spread over the filling, sealing to the edge of the crust.

Bake for 12 to 15 minutes or until the meringue is lightly browned. Watch carefully. Remove and cool before serving.